I appreciate you for this great effort.Badaga is still surviving with all its unique features because certain unique parctices like this.

Once again i appreciate you, because you deserve it guru.

DR GOPI AYYASWAMY
CHENNAI

ebhariFrequent poster

Joined: 31 Dec 1999
Posts: 279

Posted:
Sun Aug 14, 2005 7:42 am

Kudos ! Laudable effort !! Thankyou !!!

If a translation in simple english could be added in brackets under each line...that would be an eye opener to many who may not decipher the exact meaning of the sentences.

So, Ram...we request you to square off this excellent piece of work with a punch translation for wholesome understanding...ON PUBLIC DEMAND!

drramsFrequent poster

Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 340

Posted:
Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:43 pm

Hari, as u knowâ¦..since those words are in typical badaga, it would be quite difficult for the people like me to translate certain words in other languages like English, Tamil etc (only the literature graduates and those who have good literature background despite their profession/degrees(like u ) could do the same. However, let me try my level best (I mean complete translation)â¦â¦soon.

Rams

Last edited by drrams on Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:52 am; edited 1 time in total

srikumarOccasional poster

Joined: 27 Mar 2004
Posts: 51

Posted:
Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:23 am

Though I've no idea what most of the verses mean...I do understand a few...Like mentioned in another topic...if the deceased is a child...most of the verses don't hold good...My doubt is this...Do the elders cut short the recital and omit all those verses that don't apply? Can someone who has actually witnessed it explain this to me?

_________________Srikumar

drramsFrequent poster

Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 340

Posted:
Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:43 am

Didnât grow up in hatty ....right ???
Well, actually for a childâs funeral, this scene will never come into the picture and of course for a bachelors funeral too. And for the elders (married) funeral, it'll come but it doesnât mean that they came across all those thingsâ¦but are important possibilities, since no one can prove certain things...........got it ..... ....Donât u think so?? Just have a look againâ¦..

ravibalrajOccasional poster

Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 67

Posted:
Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:09 am

Ella annathammarugagiyu, ella akkathangaiyarugagiyu

I appreciate you for this
GREAT
effort.

Manjooran

bjaypeeFrequent poster

Joined: 01 Aug 2001
Posts: 198

Posted:
Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:42 am

I came across this interesting article which mentions about our custom "KARU HARUCHODU"

In his book,
THE GOLDEN BOUGH - A STUDY IN MAGIC AND RELIGION (1922)
Sir James George Fraser (1854 - 1941) mentioned in
Chapter LV ->"The Transference of Evil (To Inanimate Objects)" <-the following :-

Among the Badagas of the Neilgherry Hills in Southern India, when a death has taken place, the sins of the deceased are laid upon a buffalo calf.

For this purpose the people gather round the corpse and carry it outside of the village. There an elder of the tribe, standing at the head of the corpse, recites or chants [known as - "KARU HARUCHODU"] a long list of sins such as any Badaga may commit, and the people repeat the last word of each line after him.

The confession of sins is thrice repeated. By a conventional mode of expression, the sum total of sins a man may do is said to be thirteen hundred. Admitting that the deceased has committed them all, the performer cries aloud, - "Stay not their flight to Gods pure feet". As he closes, the whole assembly chants aloud "Stay not their flight."

Again the performer enters into details, and cries, "He killed the crawling snake. It is a sin." In a moment the last word is caught up, and all the people cry "It is a sin." As they shout, the performer lays his hand upon the calf. The sin is transferred to the calf. Thus the whole catalogue is gone through in this impressive way.

But this is not enough. As the last shout "Let all be well" dies away, the performer gives place to another, and again confession is made, and all the people shout "It is a sin". A third time it is done. Then, still in solemn silence, the calf is let loose. Like the Jewish scapegoat, it may never be used for secular work.

At a Badaga funeral witnessed by the Rev. A. C. Clayton the buffalo calf was led thrice round the bier, and the dead man`s hand was laid on its head.By this act, the calf was supposed to receive all the sins of the deceased. It was then driven away to a great distance, that it might contaminate no one, and it was said that it would never be sold, but looked on as a dedicated sacred animal. The idea of this ceremony is, that the sins of the deceased enter the calf, or that the task of his absolution is laid on it. They say that the calf very soon disappears, and that it is never heard of.

Bellie Jayaprakash
comments

"Karu Haruchodu"

Roughly translated

Karu - Calf
Haruchodu - Blessing

but in the context of a Badaga funeral 'karu haruchodu' means transferring the sins of the deceased to a calf. By releasing the calf into wilderness, the deceased is considered to be free of all sins. At present, though the 'Karu Haruchodu' is said three times no calf is involved in this rite.

I have seen elsewhere about 'hava Koddadu pappa' (killing the snake is a sin). In one of the funerals I attended I asked an elderly gentleman (Ayya) the exact meaning of these verses. What he mentioned about a couple of them was really thought provoking :-

Pulling out anything which has not grown fully is nothing but murder. It would also mean that molesting young ones is a big sin. One may wonder why would anyone pull out 'Hatchai' - it could be due to jealousy that the crop growing in the field is pulled out (destroyed) or an young girl is molested due to lust.

Last edited by bjaypee on Sat May 08, 2010 11:31 pm; edited 5 times in total

ganskoreaStarter

Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 3

Posted:
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:46 pm

l Rams,

Nice to see an excellent piece of work for people who have grown in cities and do not have an idea about our "village values". While I was reading, I felt a subtle meaning in each phrase as its sounds like, and to encounter myself how many of these things I have done in my life time. May be this has been created more than 2000 years (!?? am I right rams ???) ago. I am sure, when any one who listens to this on somebody's funeral, will definitely have some impact on his " Papa " and âKarmaâ.

When many of our villagers can't even remember all lines, I appreciate this wonderful scientist, for bringing some valuable ideas like this on the forum.

ganeshclriStarter

Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 1

Posted:
Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:00 am

Dear Ram,
Hearty congratulations for bringing out a piece of work which reminds one of the unique traditions of our community. I always feel proud of being a badaga for many reasons. An outsider, when he visits a hatty is overwhelmed by the hospitality given to him. Badagas are known for their god fearing and religious nature. There is a strong family bonding despite the differences. The badaga wedding is one of the simplest (of course the extravagant nature of some of the marriages at current times cannot be denied). Likewise, one of the hallmark of our community is the due respects given to a person however invalid he might be, during his death. 'Karu haruchodu' is unique in all respects and it is important that all of us get to know about it and its true meaning.
I would like to mention here the book on 'Karu haruchodu' by Dr.R.K.Haldurai. This book is an excellent achievement indeed, and it provides a good undestanding of karu haruchodu. I invite all to read this book and get enlightened.
To have details of this book, one shall contact the Badaga Welfare Association, Chennai, or shall contact Mr. R. Sivakumar, D-8, K.V.Apartments, MPM Street, Perambur, Chennai - 39. Tel: 91-44-25592235, 25250768.
I once again congratulate Ram for the work.

R.Ganesh,
Chennai

jaisenStarter

Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 4

Posted:
Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:31 am

so nice to read this .. i appreciate this effort taken to put this in small box where it reaches millons all around the world... keep it up..

Ever since Dr.Rams had given the verse of âKaru Harachodhuâ, I felt how nice it would be if this very beautiful words could be given in English so that the present day youngsters could understand one of the most important and significant part (prayer) of our funeral rite. In the process of translation, I interacted with a large number of community elders and in some cases, the very people who recited this prayer during funerals.

What surprised me is that NO ONE could give me the exact and complete meaning of these verses. Hence, the difficulty in the translation. May be this is due to the fact every word and sentence could be interpreted in many different ways. That, precisely, is what makes this prayer very special.

But one redeeming factor is that though some of the sequence and the wordings changed from village to village, the broad essence was kept in tact. What gave more satisfaction is the fact that in some villages, it was comparatively young people who conducted this prayer and they had no hesitation to refer and recite from a written source so that they did not leave out any part.

For the original source I have consulted Dr.Rams (given in badaga.org) and Nakkubetta Monthly (1979 issue) and my own research.

Where I did not know or get the correct and proper meaning, I have just left them blank [dotted lines] and hope some of our active members / readers will fill up the gaps.

'Karu Haruchodhu' - Transference of sins to a bull calf

Badaga funeral prayer :

Just before the rituals of âakki haakkodhuâ & âOle kattodhuâ, the male members gather on three directions with their right palm open and facing the sky, excepting east around the cot on which the body has been placed , the feet facing the east. One of the villagers (earlier it used to be the headman or âGowdaâ of the village) then recites a prayer in which the sins of the deceased are transferred on to a bull calf thus purifying the dead. It is known that in olden days, a bull calf was garlanded, holy powder smeared on its forehead and the hand of the head was placed on it. After the ritual, the calf was driven into the forest closer to the village, never to be seen again. Interestingly, in the prayer, one of the sins considered is âreclaiming a calfâ involved in this ritual and using it to plough the land.

After the first part, when the âheadmanâ lists the sins, the rest join to endorse by loudly saying âpapaâ (sin).

This prayer is repeated three times.

Updated on 09-05-2010 [includes in Tamil script]

Original Version in Badaga ( I have changed the sequence to bring out contents in a logical manner)

[Old man *Madha's] Passing away is a demise, [*name of the deceased whose funeral is taking place],
(and) Left into the wilderness [woods/forest] is a bull calf after transferenec of all sins [of Madha].
After leaving the [world of mother's] womb and coming into this [material] world,
(and) Leaving this world to go to the next big Heavenly world,
Is a journey in a ârathâ [decorated vehicle] with satisfaction.
Let the body of a man [human being] go back to the earth,
Let the life given by God go back to Him.
What was done [ill treatment] to the ancestors [by Madha] â¦..(all together).. IS A SIN !
What was done [ill treatment] to the grand parents IS A SIN !
What was done [ill treatment] to the parents IS A SIN !
What was done [ill treatment] to uncles & aunts IS A SIN !
What was done [ill treatment] to children & daughters in law IS A SIN !
Separating the brothers [and thus creating a division] IS A SIN !
Hitting the children of others IS A SIN !
Tripping [by stamping on the heel] to get in front IS A SIN !
Changing boundary mounds of lands [thus making one's own land bigger] IS A SIN !
Removing the boundary / fencing stones IS A SIN !
Pushing away the siblings IS A SIN !
Embracing the enemies IS A SIN !
Cutting off the single tree IS A SIN !
Putting big thorns to block [the way] IS A SIN !
Pulling out the green young plants IS A SIN !
Sweeping away the dry â old IS A SIN !
Pulling out the green and putting in the sun IS A SIN !
>Breaking the green and young [trees] IS A SIN !
Nipping the buds [pinching the cheeks of young with evil desogns] IS A SIN !
Using the bull (after transference of sins) for ploughing IS A SIN !
Milking the cow that has just given birth IS A SIN !
Staring at the cow that is being milked IS A SIN !
Pointing [with the finger] at the field that is ready for harvest IS A SIN !
Feeling jealous about his village IS A SIN !
Saying ill things about his nation IS A SIN !
Not giving food to the hungry IS A SIN !
Not giving shelter [fire place] to the wet/frozen IS A SIN !
Showing the wrong road [towards the forest] to the one who asked for the way IS A SIN !
Being an obstruction to good deeds IS A SIN !
Using humiliating words IS A SIN !
Spitting into [polluting] the river IS A SIN !
Diving/bathing/swimming in the flowing river without any loin clothes IS A SIN !
Urinating on the fire burning embers [that gives warmth] IS A SIN !
Baring oneâs back towards the Sun IS A SIN !
Sleeping after looking at the moon being swallowed by the snake [eclipse] IS S SIN !
Looking [side ways] with lust [at women] IS A SIN !
Smiling at the siblings with bad intentions (Laughing at the siblings?) IS A SIN !
Climbing on the steps leading to the attic when father in law is seated on the floor IS A SIN !
Getting on to the wooden plank [at a higher level] when mother in law is seated on the floor IS A SIN !
Killing [harmless] snakes and cows IS A SIN !
Killing lizards and other replites IS A SIN !
Catching a bird and giving it to a cat IS A SIN !
Putting poison into food IS A SIN !
Complaining to the Palace [against others] IS A SIN !
Even if there are a thousand and three hundred sins,
Let them be transferred on to the bull calf [that is being released into the woods [forest].
Let the sins turn to good deeds.
Let bad deeds be turned away.
Let good deeds show the path.
Let the doors of hell (bad-deeds house) be closed.
Let the house of good deeds show the way.
Let the hands of bad deeds shrink.
Let the hands of good deeds grow.
Let pious and holy -âathi pathiâ come together,
(and) Let him go and join the pious and holy â âpathi parisangaâ.
Let the door of Heaven be open.
Let beauty [and joy] fill up.
Let the pit of bad thoughts be closed.
Let the vicious mouth be closed.
Let it [soul] join the golden mast.
Let it enjoin the silver mast.Holding the Feet of God â Bramaha who gave this life,
Holding the feet of Bull-Calf being released now,
Holding the six thousand feet of pious â âAthigalâ,
Holding the twelve thousand feet of holy â âPathigalâ,
Let the Soul join the Almighty Sivaâs Kingdom !

English version given in E Thurstonâs Book âCastes and Tribes of South Indiaâ published in 1909

This is the death of Andi,
In his memory the calf of the cow Belle has been set free.
From this world to the other,
He goes in a car.
Everything the man did in this world,
All the sins committed by his ancestors,
All the sins committed by his forefathers,
All the sins committed by his parents,
All the sins committed by himself.
The enstranging of brothers,
Shifting the boundary line,
Encroaching on a neighbourâs land by removing the hedge,
Driving away brothers and sisters,
Cutting the kalli tree stealthily,
Cutting the mulli tree outside his boundary.
Dragging the thorny branches of kotte tree,
Sweeping with a broom,
Splitting green branches,
Telling lies,
Uprooting seedlings,
Plucking growing plants and throwing them in sun,
Giving away birds to to cats,
Troubling the poor and cripples,
Throwing refuse water in front of the sun,
Going to sleep after seeing the eclipse of the moon,
Looking enviously at a buffalo yielding an abundance of milk,
Being jealous of the good crops of others,
Removing boundary stones,
Using a calf set free at the funeral,
Urinating on burning embers,
Polluting water with dirt,
Ingratitude to the priest,
Carrying tales to the higher authorities,
Poisoning the food,
Not feeding a hungry person,
Not giving fire to one half frozen,
Killing snakes and cows,
Killing lizards and blood suckers,
Showing a wrong path,
Gettting on the cot, and allowing father-in-law to sleep on the ground,
Sitting on a raised verandah, and driving thence his mother-in-law,
Going against natural instincts,
Troubling daughters-in-law,
Breaking open lakes,
Breaking open reservoirs of water,
Being envious of the prosperity of other villages,
Getting angry with people,
Misleading travelers in the forest,
Though there be three hundred such sins,
Let them all go with the calf set free to-day.
May the sins be completely removed !
May the sins be forgiven !
May the doors of heaven be open !
May the doors of hell be closed !
May the hand of charity be extended !
May the wicked hand be shriveled !
May the door open suddenly !
May beauty or splendour prevail everywhere !
May the hot pillar be cooled !
May the thread bridge become light !
May the pit of perdition be closed !
May he reach the golden pillar !
Holding the feet of the six thousand Athis,
Holding the feet of twelve thousand Pathis,
Holding the feet of Brahma,
Holding the feet of calf set free to-day,
May he reach the abode of Siva !
So mote it be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listen to the prayer here Badaga Funeral Prayer by bjaypee

Last edited by bjaypee on Sat May 08, 2010 11:35 pm; edited 14 times in total

ravibalrajOccasional poster

Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 67

Posted:
Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:50 am

Excellent Work Mr. BJP.

I apprecieate you very much for your great effort.

Best Wishes
Manjooran

nisha_chellaStarter

Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 3

Posted:
Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:51 pm

Good work mr.bjaypee.For youngsters like me who have been brought up in the town,this article wud be of great use.It has helped me to understand the ritual that goes on in a funeral.I have always wondered wat was that thing that they say when somebody die.I have watched it twice or thrice.But now im clear and im proud of my ancestors on their way of thinking about wat and all are the sins.Im grateful to dr rams and mr bjaypee for their effort and their interest.

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